Fresh Europe 2007

The artists who represent the Budapest Academy of Art and the Faculty of Art of the University of Pécs were selected by art historian Brigitta Iványi; lecturer and painter Sergej Kapus chose from the best of the Academy of Art, Ljubljana; we can be grateful for a fine sample of new Czech art to the Dean of the Academy of Ústí nad Labem, Michal Koleček; lecturer Marion Porten was kind enough to choose from the best of the Vienna Academy of Art; and the most promising young artists fresh out of the Poznan Academy of Art are presented by lecturer and video artist Marek Wasilewski. Considering how diverse the backgrounds of the participants are, the most striking characteristic of the selection is the variety of styles, genres and media, and what is consequently an interesting dialogue that emerges from this first encounter of the artworks in the exhibition halls.

One of the smallest common denominators of the young generation, it seems, is that they collect and then process data whose sources are spatially and temporally extensive. This is information in the common and the artistic sense: one needs skills to “fish out” what is worthwhile in this sea of visual and linguistic data, and the participants of Fresh Europe 2007 excel in this. Their paintings, videos and sculptures are in effect attempts at grasping, as well as reflecting on, the peculiarities of the contemporary world. Whether they are successful attempts is for the viewer to decide – because there is no universal standard. The 40 young artists all share the winner’s stand. Or rather, they all stand at the same start line. We are yet to see how they perform, but they certainly deserve this show for a start.

Parallel with the exhibition of the fresh graduates, Kogart House presents on its first floor a display of the teachers, tutors and mentors of those who graduated in Budapest and Pécs in 2007. Come and see for yourself whether and how the students follow up their masters’ worlds, values and artistic credos.